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About the AuthorDonald Olson is a novelist, playwright, and travel writer. Hisnewest novel, Confessions of a Pregnant Princess, was published in2005 under the pen name Swan Adamson. An earlier SwanAdamson novel, My Three Husbands, has been translated intoFrench and published in several European countries. DonaldOlson’s novel The Confessions of Aubrey Beardsley, was publishedin the United Kingdom by Bantam Press, and his play, Beardsley,was produced in London. His travel stories have appeared in theNew York Times, Travel + Leisure, Sunset, National Geographicbooks, and many other publications. England For Dummies, 1stEdition won a 2002 Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award for bestguidebook. His other guidebooks London For Dummies, Best DayTrips from London, Irreverent London, Germany For Dummies, andFrommer’s Vancouver & Victoria are all published by WileyPublishing, Inc. London is one of Donald’s favorite cities, andEngland is one of his favorite countries.

DedicationThis book is dedicated to all those Londoners who showed theworld in July 2005 that they are stronger than any terrorists.

Author’s AcknowledgmentsI would like to thank BritRail for helpful assistance while I wasresearching this new edition of England For Dummies. Thanks alsogo to Gary Larson and Stephen Brewer.

Contents at a GlanceIntroduction .......................................................1Part I: Introducing England.................................7Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of England ..................................9Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into England ......................................15Chapter 3: Deciding When and Where to Go ..............................24Chapter 4: Following an Itinerary: Five Great Options ..............41

Part III: London and Environs ..........................113Chapter 11: Settling Into London ................................................115Chapter 12: Exploring London ....................................................158Chapter 13: Day-tripping from London ......................................201

Part V: The West Country ................................259Chapter 16: Hampshire and Wiltshire:Old Wessex and New Sarum ..................................................261Chapter 17: Devon: Moors, Tors, and Sandy Shores ................274Chapter 18: Cornwall: Saints, Salts, Sea, and Sun......................292

Part VI: England’s Heartland...........................309Chapter 19: Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle ............311Chapter 20: Bath and the Best of the Cotswolds ......................325

Part VII: Way Up North ..................................349Chapter 21: Yorkshire ..................................................................351Chapter 22: The Lake District ......................................................377

Part VIII: The Part of Tens...............................399Chapter 23: Ten Writers and the Places They Lived ................401Chapter 24: Ten Great English Gardens......................................405

Table of ContentsIntroduction ......................................................1About This Book......................................................................1Conventions Used in This Book ............................................2Foolish Assumptions ..............................................................3How This Book Is Organized..................................................3Part I: Introducing England..........................................4Part II: Planning Your Trip to England........................4Part III: London and Environs......................................4Part IV: The Southeast..................................................4Part V: The West Country ............................................4Part VI: England’s Heartland .......................................5Part VII: Way Up North .................................................5Part VIII: The Part of Tens............................................5Icons Used in This Book.........................................................6Where to Go from Here...........................................................6

Part I: Introducing England ................................7Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of England..................9The Best of Legendary London .............................................9The Best Cities, Towns, and Villages ..................................10The Best Castles, Palaces, and Stately Homes ..................11The Best Cathedrals and Churches ....................................11The Best Historic Places ......................................................12The Best Gardens..................................................................13The Best Romantic Landscapes ..........................................13The Best Shopping ................................................................14

Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into England......................15The Main Events: A Brief History of England ....................15Building Blocks: An Overview of English Architecture ....18Dining English Style from Traditional to Modern .............20Visiting the Local Pub...........................................................20Background Check: Finding Englandin Books and Movies.........................................................21Books............................................................................22Movies ..........................................................................23

Chapter 3: Deciding When and Where to Go ..............24Going Everywhere You Want to Be .....................................24Looking at London: from Buckingham Palaceto the British Museum............................................24

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England For Dummies, 3rd EditionExploring Southeast England: Canterbury,castles, and historic towns....................................26Sightseeing at Stonehenge and inthe West Country: Hampshire,Wiltshire, Devon, and Cornwall.............................27Discovering England’s heartland: Stratfordupon-Avon, the Cotswolds, and Bath ...................28Heading north: Yorkshire and the Lake District .....28Scheduling Your Time...........................................................29Revealing the Secrets of the Seasons .................................30Traveling during high and low seasons ...................30Watching those unpredictable skies ........................31Blooming in spring......................................................32Shining (and raining) in summer ..............................32Glowing in autumn......................................................33Welcoming in winter...................................................34Perusing a Calendar of Events.............................................35January.........................................................................35February.......................................................................35March ...........................................................................36April ..............................................................................36May ...............................................................................36June...............................................................................37July................................................................................38August ..........................................................................38September....................................................................39October ........................................................................39November ....................................................................39December.....................................................................40

Chapter 4: Following an Itinerary:Five Great Options.........................................................41Seeing England’s Highlights in One Week ..........................42Touring the Best of England in Two Weeks........................45Discovering England with Kids............................................47Strolling through England’s Greenery:An Itinerary for Garden Lovers .......................................49Visiting England’s Past: An Itinerary for History Buffs ....51

Sightseeing...................................................................59Shopping and nightlife ...............................................60Cutting Costs — But Not the Fun ........................................62Handling Money ....................................................................63Using ATMs and carrying cash..................................64Charging ahead with credit cards.............................64Toting traveler’s checks.............................................65Dealing with a lost or stolen wallet ..........................66Taking Taxes into Account...................................................67Tipping Like You Mean It......................................................68

Chapter 6: Getting to England.........................................69Finding Out Who Flies Where ..............................................69Getting the Best Deal on Your Airfare ................................70Working with Consolidators ......................................71Booking your flight online .........................................71Arriving by Other Means......................................................72Taking the train ...........................................................72Riding a ferry or hovercraft.......................................73Joining an Escorted Tour .....................................................73Choosing a Package Tour.....................................................75Locating package tours ..............................................75Checking out airline and hotel packages.................76

Chapter 7: Getting Around England...............................77Weighing the Options: Train or Car? ..................................77Riding the Rails......................................................................77Buying your train ticket .............................................78Negotiating the rail system........................................78Getting to know London’s train stations .................79Saving with BritRail passes........................................80Hopping a Coach: Bus Travel ..............................................81Driving on the Left, Passing on the Right: Car Travel ......81Renting a car in London — or not ............................82Renting a car in England ............................................83Hitting the road: Motorways, dual carriageways,and roundabouts.....................................................84Following the rules of the road .................................85Coping with emergencies on the road .....................85Filling up the tank .......................................................86

Chapter 8: Booking Your Accommodations .................87Finding the Right Place for You ...........................................88Understanding the pros and cons of B&Bs .............88Exploring hotel choices .............................................89Finding the Best Room at the Best Rate.............................92

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England For Dummies, 3rd EditionSurfing the Web for Hotel Deals ..........................................93Reserving the Best Room.....................................................94

Chapter 9: Catering to Special Needs or Interests.....95Traveling with the Brood: Advice for Families ..................95Locating family-friendly accommodationsand restaurants .......................................................96Hiring a baby-sitter in England..................................97Making Age Work for You: Tips for Seniors .......................97Accessing England: Information forTravelers with Disabilities ...............................................98Considering the benefits of escorted tours...........100Dealing with access issues ......................................100Following the Rainbow: Resources forGay and Lesbian Travelers.............................................101

Chapter 10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details...103Getting a Passport...............................................................103Applying for a U.S. passport....................................103Applying for other passports ..................................104Entering England with your passport ....................105Dealing with a (gulp) lost passport ........................105Playing It Safe with Travel and Medical Insurance .........105Staying Healthy When You Travel.....................................106Staying Connected by Cellphone ......................................107Accessing the Internet Away From Home ........................109Keeping Up with Airline Security ......................................111

Part III: London and Environs .........................113Chapter 11: Settling into London..................................115Getting There.......................................................................115Flying to London .......................................................115Taking the train .........................................................119Orienting Yourself in London ............................................119Introducing the Neighborhoods........................................120The City of London ...................................................120West End ....................................................................121West London..............................................................124The South Bank .........................................................126Finding Information After You Arrive ...............................126Getting Around London......................................................127By Underground (subway) ......................................127By bus.........................................................................129By taxi.........................................................................130On foot........................................................................130

Table of ContentsStaying in Style ....................................................................131The top hotels ...........................................................134Runner-up accommodations ...................................141Dining Out ............................................................................143Neighborhoods for ethnic eats ...............................143Strategies for budget dining ....................................143The top restaurants..................................................146Treating Yourself to a Tea ..................................................155Casual tearooms and patisseries ............................155Elegant spots for high tea ........................................156

Chapter 12: Exploring London ......................................158Discovering the Top Attractions .......................................158Finding More Cool Things to See and Do .........................175Seeing London by Guided Tour .........................................181Bus tours....................................................................181Boat tours ..................................................................182An amphibious tour..................................................183Walking tours.............................................................183Following an Itinerary.........................................................184Shopping in London............................................................184When to shop and how to find deals......................184Where to shop and what to buy..............................185Living It Up After Dark ........................................................190Finding out what’s happening .................................190Getting tickets ...........................................................190Raising the curtain on performing artsand music...............................................................190Checking out the club and bar scenes ...................192Fast Facts: London ..............................................................197

Chapter 13: Day-tripping from London........................201Cambridge: Medieval Colleges on the River Cam ...........201Getting to Cambridge ...............................................201Finding information and taking a tour ...................204Getting around Cambridge ......................................204Exploring the best of Cambridge ............................204Finding more to see and do in Cambridge.............207Dining in Cambridge .................................................208Greenwich: The Center of Time and Space......................209Getting to Greenwich................................................209Finding information and taking a tour ...................209Exploring Greenwich ................................................210Dining in Greenwich .................................................211Hampton Court Palace: Henry VIII’s Riverside Estate....211Getting to Hampton Court .......................................211Exploring Hampton Court........................................212

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England For Dummies, 3rd EditionRoyal Botanic Gardens (Kew Gardens):Royal Pleasure Grounds .................................................212Getting to Kew Gardens ...........................................213Exploring Kew Gardens............................................213Oxford: Town and Gown.....................................................213Getting to Oxford ......................................................214Finding information and taking a tour ...................214Exploring the best of Oxford ...................................214Finding more to see and do in Oxford....................216Dining in Oxford ........................................................217Blenheim Palace: Ancestral Home of the Churchills ......218Getting to Blenheim Palace .....................................218Exploring Blenheim Palace ......................................218Windsor Castle: Official Royal Residence ........................219Getting to Windsor Castle........................................220Exploring Windsor Castle ........................................220

Part IV: The Southeast ...................................221Chapter 14: Kent and Sussex........................................223Canterbury: Tales from the Great Cathedral ...................224Getting to Canterbury ..............................................225Finding information and taking a tour ...................225Staying in or near Canterbury.................................225Dining in or near Canterbury ..................................226Exploring Canterbury...............................................228Rye: Smugglers, Mermaids, and Writers ..........................229Getting to Rye............................................................230Finding information ..................................................230Taking a tour of Rye..................................................231Staying in Rye ............................................................232Dining in Rye .............................................................233Exploring Rye ............................................................234Battle: 1066 and All That ....................................................236Getting to Battle ........................................................236Finding information ..................................................236Dining in Battle..........................................................237Exploring the Battle of Hastings Abbeyand Battlefield .......................................................238Brighton: Fun Beside the Seaside .....................................238Getting to Brighton ...................................................239Finding information ..................................................240Getting around Brighton ..........................................240Staying in or near Brighton......................................240Dining in Brighton.....................................................242

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Exploring Brighton....................................................243Shopping in Brighton................................................245Stepping out in Brighton, night or day...................245

Part V: The West Country ...............................259Chapter 16: Hampshire and Wiltshire:Old Wessex and New Sarum....................................261Winchester: King Alfred Meets Jane Austen....................263Getting to Winchester ..............................................263Finding information and takinga tour of Winchester .............................................263Staying in Winchester...............................................264Finding lunch or a spot of tea .................................264Exploring Winchester andthe surrounding area ............................................265Salisbury: High-Spire Act....................................................268Getting to Salisbury ..................................................268Finding information on Salisbury ...........................268Staying in or near Salisbury ....................................269Dining in Salisbury....................................................270Exploring Salisbury and the surrounding area .....271

Chapter 17: Devon: Moors, Tors,and Sandy Shores .......................................................274Exeter: Sea Captains and Silversmiths .............................275Getting to Exeter .......................................................276Finding information and taking a tour ...................277Staying in Exeter .......................................................277Dining in Exeter.........................................................278Exploring Exeter........................................................279Shopping for Exeter silver .......................................280Dartmoor National Park: Back to Nature .........................281Getting to the park....................................................281Finding information ..................................................281Taking a tour of the park..........................................283Staying in Dartmoor National Park.........................283Dining in Dartmoor National Park ..........................284Exploring in and around DartmoorNational Park .........................................................285Torquay: Relaxing on the English Riviera ........................286Getting to Torquay....................................................287Getting around and touring Torquay .....................287Finding information ..................................................287Staying and dining in Torquay ................................287Exploring Torquay ....................................................288Plymouth: Where the Pilgrims Set Sail .............................289Getting to Plymouth .................................................289Taking a cruise in Plymouth ....................................289Finding information ..................................................289Locating a spot for lunch or tea..............................290Exploring Plymouth ..................................................290

Chapter 18: Cornwall: Saints, Salts, Sea, and Sun...292Penzance: As in “The Pirates of . . .” .................................294Getting to Penzance..................................................294Finding information and taking a tourof Penzance............................................................295Staying in Penzance ..................................................295Dining in Penzance ...................................................296Exploring in and around Penzance.........................298The Penwith Peninsula: A Driving Tourfrom Penzance to Land’s End ........................................300Stop #1: Newlyn.........................................................300Stop #2: Mousehole ..................................................301

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Stop #3: The Minack Theatre ..................................301Stop #4: Land’s End ..................................................302St. Ives: Artists’ Haven by the Sea.....................................302Getting to St. Ives ......................................................302Finding information about St. Ives..........................303Staying in St. Ives ......................................................303Dining in St. Ives........................................................304Exploring St. Ives ......................................................304Finding more to see near St. Ives ............................305Fowey and the Saint’s Way: River Townand Holy Track ................................................................306Cotehele, Eden Project, and Lanhydrock:Three Great Cornish Gardens ........................................307Cotehele .....................................................................307Eden Project ..............................................................308Lanhydrock................................................................308

Part VI: England’s Heartland ..........................309Chapter 19: Stratford-upon-Avonand Warwick Castle...................................................311Stratford-upon-Avon: In the Bard’s Footsteps .................311Getting to Stratford-upon-Avon...............................312Finding information aboutStratford-upon-Avon .............................................313Getting around and touringStratford-upon-Avon .............................................313Staying in Stratford-upon-Avon ...............................313Dining in Stratford-upon-Avon.................................315Exploring the best of Stratford-upon-Avon............317Finding more to see and do inStratford-upon-Avon .............................................320Seeing a play in Stratford-upon-Avon .....................321Shopping in Stratford-upon-Avon ...........................321Warwick Castle: Warlords and Ladies ..............................321Getting to Warwick ...................................................322Dining at Warwick Castle .........................................322Exploring Warwick Castle ........................................322Finding more to see and do in Warwick.................324

Chapter 20: Bath and the Best of the Cotswolds ......325Bath: Hot Mineral Springs andCool Georgian Splendor..................................................326Getting to Bath ..........................................................326Finding information and taking a tour of Bath......328Exchanging money and locating ATMs ..................328

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England For Dummies, 3rd EditionStaying in and around Bath .....................................329Dining in Bath ............................................................330Exploring Bath...........................................................332Cheltenham: A Little Bath ..................................................334Getting to Cheltenham .............................................335Traveling among the local villages .........................335Finding information and taking a tourof Cheltenham .......................................................335Staying in Cheltenham .............................................335Dining in Cheltenham ...............................................336Exploring Cheltenham..............................................337Shopping in Cheltenham..........................................338Bourton-on-the-Water: Bridges on the Windrush ...........338Getting to Bourton-on-the-Water ............................338Stopping for a spot of tea inBourton-on-the-Water ...........................................339Exploring Bourton-on-the-Water .............................339Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter:Quiet and Atmospheric ..................................................340Broadway: Village Shopping ..............................................340Getting to Broadway.................................................340Finding information about Broadway ....................341Staying in Broadway .................................................341Stopping for a spot of tea in Broadway..................341Exploring Broadway and vicinity............................341Chipping Campden: Picture Perfect .................................342Getting to Chipping Campden.................................342Staying and dining in Chipping Campden..............342Exploring Chipping Campden .................................344Cirencester: Market Town with a Roman Past ................344Getting to Cirencester ..............................................344Finding information about Cirencester..................344Staying in Cirencester ..............................................344Dining in Cirencester ................................................345Exploring Cirencester...............................................346Shopping in Cirencester...........................................347

Part VII: Way Up North .................................349Chapter 21: Yorkshire.....................................................351York: Ancient Walls and Snickelways ...............................352Getting to York ..........................................................353Renting a car or calling a taxi..................................354Finding information about York ..............................354Exchanging money and locating ATMs ..................354

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Taking a tour in York ................................................355Staying in York...........................................................356Dining in York ............................................................357Exploring York...........................................................359Shopping in York.......................................................364Stepping out at night in York...................................364Day-tripping from York: Castle Howardand Eden Camp .....................................................365Scarborough: Cliffs and Arcades.......................................366Getting to Scarborough............................................367Getting around Scarborough ...................................367Finding information and taking a tour ofScarborough ..........................................................367Staying in Scarborough ............................................367Dining in Scarborough..............................................369Exploring Scarborough ............................................369Seeing the performing arts in Scarborough ..........372Yorkshire’s Two National Parks: Moors and Dales .........372North York Moors National Park ............................372Yorkshire Dales National Park.................................374Haworth: On the Trail of the Brontës ...............................375Getting to Haworth ...................................................375Finding information and taking a tourof Haworth .............................................................375Dining in Haworth.....................................................376Exploring Haworth....................................................376

Chapter 22: The Lake District .......................................377The Lake District: Natural Beautyand Literary Treasures ...................................................379Getting to the Lake District .....................................379Getting around the Lake District.............................380Taking a tour of the Lake District ...........................380Lake Windermere: The Largest Lake in England .............381Finding information and exchanging moneynear Lake Windermere .........................................381Touring by boat or foot............................................381Staying near Lake Windermere ...............................382Dining near Lake Windermere.................................383Exploring around Lake Windermere.......................385Grasmere: Wordsworth Territory .....................................387Finding information about Grasmere .....................387Touring on foot..........................................................387Staying in and around Grasmere.............................388Dining in Grasmere ...................................................389Exploring in and around Grasmere.........................390

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England For Dummies, 3rd EditionKeswick: Lakeland Central .................................................392Getting to Keswick ....................................................392Finding information and exchanging moneyat Keswick ..............................................................392Staying in or near Keswick ......................................392Dining in Keswick......................................................394Exploring in and around Keswick ...........................395Shopping in Keswick ................................................397Discovering Keswick’s performing arts .................397